How effective is swimming?

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  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    btw - does anyone who swims regularly have any advice about tracking swimming? gadgets that do or don't work and that are really water proof rather than shower proof?
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
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    This website has a range of workout plans according to what you want and your current fitness level:

    http://www.swimming.org/swimfit/

    I swim at least twice a week and as others have commented, make sure that my heat rate is up. I use a float and pull buoy to make it more difficult and strengthen my arms or legs.

    ETA - I also find I am hungrier after swimming for some reason than when I lift weights or run
  • Nyksta
    Nyksta Posts: 241 Member
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    I love swimming - always been a swimmer and swam a lot at the beginning of my weight loss journey.... However, recently I took my hrm swimming and was hugely surprised at the difference in calories burned from what I had been using via MFP!

    Nowhere near as many....

    I can burn more running int he same period of time but I enjoy swimming, its gives me a good all body workout and I personally feel its a great exercise to have in your routine :)

    Nyk x
  • zoquo
    zoquo Posts: 75
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    As a qualified swimming teacher i can tell you that it depends on your technique. You also have to push yourself a bit. I used to swim 30-45 mins non stop every morning before work (benefit of working in water). I found that this with a controlled calorie intake worked well at general toning. I was only more defined when i swam with a club and trained hard for competitive swimming. I prefer swimming to running but i am a water baby.

    Peace
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    For people like me with degenerative osteoarthritis in the feet, swimming is awesome.
    I worked my way up to swimming over 3 miles a day. I also lift heavy and add a spinning class or two each week.
    Sundays, hen time allows push myself further to 4 or 5 miles.
    Down over 100# and have more shoulder muscle than I have ever had. Soon I may need to buy athletic cut dress shirts :)
  • jaenders06
    jaenders06 Posts: 63 Member
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    If you want something that works to track swims, take a look at the Speedo website or any of the competitive companies. They usually have stuff that will work. I used to swim competitively and we were always using the clocks and lap counters and things like that. Also if you write out what you're going to do, you can keep in on a kickboard and record it that way. I have bad knees now from years of field hockey and snowboarding so I swim for something low impact with my workout routine. If you want to tone as well there are different items you can use to help.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    If you want something that works to track swims, take a look at the Speedo website or any of the competitive companies. They usually have stuff that will work. I used to swim competitively and we were always using the clocks and lap counters and things like that. Also if you write out what you're going to do, you can keep in on a kickboard and record it that way. I have bad knees now from years of field hockey and snowboarding so I swim for something low impact with my workout routine. If you want to tone as well there are different items you can use to help.

    Thanks I've been looking for a while, but so far most of hte "proper" high spec stuff, when I look up the details wouldn't actually cope with the length of the pool i use... i'll keep looking
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
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    I do aqua-jogging once a week as a low impact alternative to running, I get hungrier after doing that than I do running for the same length of time, I've always wondered if it was to do with the water (it's something like water is x800 denser than air which is why it's so difficult).
    I've always just timed myself on the average time it takes me to do 5k, count the number of times I can get across the breadth of the pool (as I found out the first time, aqua-jogging the length of the pool doesn't work if your feet can't touch to floor of the pool!!!)
    and improve on the number of times I can make it back and forwards.

    I wear contacts and am rather blind without them so front crawl/freestyle I've never really learned to do properly and breast-stroke just doesn't increase my heart-rate enough!!
  • mattissy
    mattissy Posts: 3 Member
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    Swimming a little odd on calorie burning, as technique plays so much. I am sure i burnt more calories when i was flailing around like i was drowning, but after 6 months of it, i am a little smoother and a little more efficient so burn less. Its great for interval training though and the added benefit that after you have done your swim you don't feel tired but invigorated.

    This is very true, I'm a former competitive swimmer, I spent the first 23 years of my life perfecting my stroke to be as efficient as possible, using it to keep fit now is much harder as the techniquer never leaves you. Pushing myself is more important than the distance covered or the time I'm there. Just plodding laps is boring and not good for a work out.
  • Pensworth
    Pensworth Posts: 31 Member
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    It is good for some therapeutic reasons, as others have said. I have a weak tendon and numb ankle that I am only able to really work when I'm waist deep in the water, so it's nice to be able to strengthen that with some gentle exercises between laps. I have no technique to speak of when I get in the pool besides flail forward until I'm exhausted, then take a moment to catch my breath before doing it some more. I figure when my arms start to ring, that is a sign that I'm doing something right.

    I agree that estimating calories burned can be very difficult for this activity. I try to low ball it when I put it in my diary. Never owned a HRM and I am pretty poor at counting laps. I just try to stay in for 20-30 minutes of continuous movement, taking out breaks.

    edit: Only real problem I've dealt with in swimming is that I am very sensitive about getting water in my ears, and need ear plugs. I struggle with getting my ear plugs to stay in and not let water leak in. Other than that, not many complaints. Goggles are your friends.
  • JCLondonUK
    JCLondonUK Posts: 159
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    Front crawl and Freestyle are one and the same. Freestyle is the competition word for front crawl for lack of a better explanation.

    Thanks! :smile:
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
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    This website has a range of workout plans according to what you want and your current fitness level:

    http://www.swimming.org/swimfit/

    I swim at least twice a week and as others have commented, make sure that my heat rate is up. I use a float and pull buoy to make it more difficult and strengthen my arms or legs.

    ETA - I also find I am hungrier after swimming for some reason than when I lift weights or run


    Regarding the feelings of hunger I used to find having a hot drink afterwards helped a lot.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I do aqua-jogging once a week as a low impact alternative to running, I get hungrier after doing that than I do running for the same length of time, I've always wondered if it was to do with the water (it's something like water is x800 denser than air which is why it's so difficult).
    I've always just timed myself on the average time it takes me to do 5k, count the number of times I can get across the breadth of the pool (as I found out the first time, aqua-jogging the length of the pool doesn't work if your feet can't touch to floor of the pool!!!)
    and improve on the number of times I can make it back and forwards.

    I wear contacts and am rather blind without them so front crawl/freestyle I've never really learned to do properly and breast-stroke just doesn't increase my heart-rate enough!!

    My son is blind without contacts, but ordered perscription goggles from an eyewear shop and loves them for swimming--they were around 16 Euros.

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